


Operation: Make the Queen Smile

by lake_writes



Series: The King and His Queen [2]
Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Talentswap (Dangan Ronpa), Blindfolds, Boys Kissing, Café, Cuddling in Bed, Fluff, Games, M/M, Surprise Party, Trans Saihara Shuichi, Ultimate Barista Saihara Shuichi, a really sweet old woman who would defend shuichi with her life, but not in a sexy way, shuichi goes by ouma because r e a s o ns, shuichi's the only one with a different talent but better to be safe than sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:15:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24589669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lake_writes/pseuds/lake_writes
Summary: Kokichi has noticed that Shuichi's been acting rather off today, and Yume helps him make a plan to cheer him up after they manage to find the reason.
Relationships: DICE & Saihara Shuichi, Oma Kokichi & DICE, Oma Kokichi/Saihara Shuichi
Series: The King and His Queen [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1699729
Comments: 5
Kudos: 130
Collections: Kokichi Ouma Month





	Operation: Make the Queen Smile

**Author's Note:**

> Hey!! This stands in for Day 8 of OuMonth, which is a free day! I know I'm posting it early but I don't know if I'll have time to post it tomorrow, so I'm just going to do it now.
> 
> I hope you enjoy it, and I hope it doesn't seem patchy in some places, because I admittedly had a little bit of trouble managing to write this.
> 
> Thank you for requesting this idea, Lynne! I had a lot of fun writing it!

Kokichi was clearly lost in thought, with the way that he slumped against the kitchen table, his fingers drumming almost obnoxiously on the wooden surface. Yume, the youngest member of DICE, glanced up at him from her math homework, her green eyes bright with confusion when she took in the unusually serious look on his face. “Kokichi-chan,” she spoke, quietly and carefully, effectively breaking Kokichi from his train of thought. “Is something wrong?” She put her mechanical pencil down, tucking her hair behind her ear as she leaned closer. “You seem tense.”

He could lie, he supposed, but Yume was too smart for that. She took far too much after his beloved. “I guess I am,” he conceded eventually, lifting his hand to study his nails, as if he were disinterested on the topic they were about to discuss. “It’s nothing you need to worry your pretty little head over though, Yume-chan. Keep practicing those multiplication tables.”

Yume raised an eyebrow, staring at her leader and older brother, completely unimpressed. “Ko, I’m in middle school, not five. You can tell me what’s wrong, you know.” She pushed her math sheet off to the side, resting her elbows on the tabletop as she tipped her head. “Does this have something to do with Shuichi-chan's bad mood today? ‘Cause I noticed it too.”

Kokichi sighed softly, reaching out to ruffle the younger girl’s hair, earning him a dismayed squeak as she ducked away from his hand. “You’re too smart for me, Yume-chan. Stop hanging out with Shuichi, he’s rubbing off on you.” His voice was as light and teasing as his grin, although the expression quickly dropped back into seriousness. “Yeah, that’s it. I don’t know what happened, really. Shumai got called out of class for some reason, and when he came back, he seemed upset.”

Yume frowned at that, tilting her head to the side. “He didn’t say anything about it to you?”

“No,” Kokichi huffed, crossing his arms and looking annoyed. “I tried asking him about it, but he just told me to drop it! Isn’t that rude?”

Yume fell silent, cupping her chin in thought. Kokichi felt his lips curve upwards in a smile as he recognized it as a pose Shuichi would do while he was thinking. Yume absolutely adored Shuichi. There was a moment of silence before she let out a soft ‘oh!’ of realization, digging in her pockets for her phone. “Some people were talking about this today at school,” she muttered, tapping something almost furiously on her screen before she turned it around for Kokichi to see.

He had only read the first few words in the headline before he scowled, scoffing as he waved it away. “So those fucks are trying to worm their way back into his life after they abandoned him?” he growled out. No wonder Shuichi had been in such a bad mood. The people who were supposed to be Shuichi’s parents wanted access to his life, now that Shuichi had his own little bit of fame. The thought made him sick to his stomach. “I hope they realize they are the literal source of Shuichi’s problems.”

So, Masako and Yuuma were back in Japan, hm? Kokichi had no doubt that they’d be heading for the cafe Shuichi worked at, which meant that Shuichi would be in an even worse mood when he got home. Maybe he should go and pick him up from work, offer some sort of a distraction until they got back to the safety of the hideout. “...I wonder if we could do something to make Shuichi-chan feel better,” Yume muttered thoughtfully, still rubbing at her chin, although her gaze had travelled from the ceiling to the floor now. “Like, a party, or something…”

Kokichi grinned at her suggestion, leaning closer to her. “Yume-chan, you’re a  _ genius _ ,” he whispered, his eyes sparkling. “I think Shuichi would absolutely love that idea, especially since you’re the one who came up with it.”

Yume’s eyes widened, and she flushed at the praise, pouting as she hid her face behind her sleeves. “Sh-Shut up, Nii-san, you’re making me blush,” she muttered, her voice muffled through the fabric of her DICE uniform. 

“Aww, you’re just too cute,” Kokichi gushed, reaching out and wrapping her in a hug. “You’re the best, Yume.”

And with that, Kokichi called the rest of DICE into the kitchen, talking animatedly, planning a surprise party for their dearest Queen.

~~~~

The sun had begun to set by the time Kokichi made it to the cafe, just in time for the shifts to change over. He waltzed inside as if he owned the place, grinning widely as one of the regular customers, a kind old woman, waved him over. “Well, hello there, Fujiwara-san!” Kokichi singsonged, remembering to act polite, just as Shuichi had told him before. His beloved had a reputation to uphold, after all.

“Ouma-san, it’s good to see you again,” Fujiwara greeted warmly, her dark eyes glittering happily. “I hope everything has been well? Your lovely partner has been talking about your darling little sister, and how proud he is of how well she’s doing in school.”

Kokichi’s smile widened as he nodded, taking a seat next to the elderly woman. “Mmhm! We’re both very proud of her. And how have your grandchildren been doing? I hope elementary school has been treating them kindly.”

“Ah, Kokichi,” Shuichi called out, interrupting the conversation. His eyes shone with relief as he smiled at his boyfriend from the back. “Perfect timing, I just got done. Let me clock out, and I’ll be out with you in a second.” With that, he disappeared through the doorway, calling out to one of his coworkers that he was going to be heading home.

As soon as Shuichi disappeared from view, Fujiwara’s face turned dead serious as she turned back to gaze at Kokichi. “Keep an eye on that boy,” she urged, her voice low, as if she were afraid of being overheard. “Some people, a man and a woman, showed up today while he was out taking his break. They didn’t seem right, so I told ‘em he wasn’t here right now. I don’t want him getting snatched off the street.”

...Ah, so they did show up here. Kokichi sighed softly, shaking his head. “Thank you, Fujiwara-san, for the warning. I’ll make sure we get home safe and sound tonight."

The elderly woman nodded as Shuichi appeared from the back again, this time devoid of the apron that had been hanging over his arm. He looked so much more relaxed now, a serene smile on his face, as he came from around the counter and leaned in to press a kiss to Kokichi’s cheek as he threaded their fingers together. “I can’t wait to get home and take a shower,” he murmured softly as he pulled away, tugging at Kokichi’s hand. 

Kokichi’s lips stretched into a loving grin as he allowed Shuichi to pull him from the cafe and down the street. The warmth of Shuichi’s hand was so gentle and kind, very much like his boyfriend in his entirety. “So, how was your shift today?” he hummed softly, squeezing at his beloved’s hand. “Did Fujiwara-san talk your ear off again?”

“When doesn’t she?” Shuichi responded with a laugh, his eyes lighting up and his cheeks turning pink as he smiled. “It’s Fujiwara-san, I think I’d be worried if she didn’t.” He paused, this silence a careful one, suggesting that Shuichi was trying to search for the right words for his next sentence. “...I take it you’ve realized what’s been going on,” he said after a moment, glancing at Kokichi out of the corner of his eye.

“With those assholes?” Kokichi asked. He didn’t want to call them Shuichi’s parents, they had lost that right long ago. “Yeah. Yume-chan had noticed you were upset, and she pointed out that that could be the reason.” 

Shuichi nodded quietly. “Mm. They showed up at the cafe, too,” he said softly. “Although Fujiwara-san already told you. She’s not exactly the most silent woman.” He laughed drily at that. “Naegi-san managed to get them to leave, but…” He shrugged. “Anything else doesn’t really matter. They left, and that’s the important thing.” 

Kokichi hummed softly in response, tugging at Shuichi’s hand as they rounded a corner, coming up on the alley where the entrance to their home was hidden. “Yeah, I suppose. I wonder where they decided to fuck off to, though.”

“I’m sure we’ll hear about it later,” Shuichi sighed. “Can we not talk about this, please? I just want to go home and take a shower.” He sounded tired, which Kokichi couldn’t blame him for. He had spent most of his life trying to forget those people, and now, here they were, trying to worm their way back into his life once again.

“Of course, Shuichi,” Kokichi murmured, lifting his head to smile at the taller boy, earning a weary smile as a response. They lapsed into a comfortable silence as they continued on to their hideout, disappearing into the alleyway, unnoticed by the bustling streets, intent on going about their own lives.

“Hey, hey, Shuichi!” Kokichi suddenly called, stopping them a few feet away from the entrance to the hideout. Shuichi turned, looking quizzical, as Shuichi undid the scarf around his neck and held it out to him. “Put this on, beloved! Over your eyes!”

“Over my eyes?” Shuichi questioned, tilting his head. “How come? I have to be able to see to put in the password, wouldn’t this make it more difficult?”

“Well, duh!” Kokichi huffed. “That’s the whole point! I’m trying to test you in case you ever end up blinded by one of our rivals!” He grinned, holding his arms behind his head. “But that’s a lie. Just do it, Shumai! I promise, it’ll be worth it!”

Shuichi cast him a skeptical look, and yet he complied regardless, gingerly lifting the scarf to his face and tying a clumsy knot behind his head. “I-I don’t think I did a very good job of tying it, ‘Kichi,” he mumbled. “Do you think you could check it?”

Kokichi hummed affirmingly, stretching up on his toes as Shuichi, carefully undoing the knot and trying one that was much more secure in its place. “There we are,” he hummed, nodding in satisfaction as he lowered himself back down onto flat feet. “Perfect! You can’t see anything, right, beloved?” He waved his hand in front of Shuichi’s face for good measure, grinning when he didn’t flinch.

“Mmkay, we’re all set, Shu! Don’t let go of my hand, I’ll make sure you don’t trip and fall over anything!” With that, he grasped at Shuichi’s hand, tugging him further down the alleyway, pausing only to thumb in the passcode that’d open the door that’d allow them to descend into their hideout.

Carefully, very carefully, Kokichi guided him down the steps, pausing to steady him if Shuichi wobbled or let out a noise that indicated that he was nervous. “I got you,” Kokichi murmured softly. “You know I do, Shushu.”

“You do,” Shuichi affirmed, although he couldn’t stop the sigh of relief that escaped him when they reached the bottom of the staircase. Kokichi couldn’t blame him for that one. General anxiety could be such a bitch.

It didn’t take them long to reach the living room, where everything was eerily silent. Shuichi frowned at that, clearly concerned. “Kichi? Where is everyone?” he asked.

“Hmm, I don’t know,” Kokichi hummed, doing his best to sound thoughtful. “Why don’t you take your blindfold off and find out?”

“A-Are you sure?” Shuichi asked, although he was already lifting his hands to undo the knot Kokichi had made, securing his scarf in place as a blindfold. When it finally dropped away, Shuichi couldn’t help but gasp.

“Welcome home, Saihara-kun!” the entirety of DICE chimed, Kokichi included, having sidled over to join them while Shuichi was busy with the blindfold. He watched in satisfaction as Shuichi’s eyes widened, pure shock painting his features as his gaze darted back and forth between all of them.

There was quite a magnificent spread of food, courtesy of Yuudai. The tall man rubbed his hand sheepishly behind his head, careful not to disturb the large afro atop his head. He took meticulous care of it, after all. “Yume told us that you were feeling kinda crappy, Queen,” he said softly. Shuichi’s lips curled into a smile at the use of his codename. “So we thought we’d all pitch in to help cheer you up.”

“Kokichi was the one to give me the idea,” Yume retorted, her cheeks turning pink as she crossed her arms. “It wasn’t completely my idea. He was being super mopey while I was trying to do my homework, and it was honestly getting annoying.”

Kokichi flushed indignantly as he turned to glare at Yume. “Lies! Lies, I tell you, Saihara-chan. A supreme leader does not  _ mope _ , you all know that!”

Yuudai rolled his eyes, shaking his head fondly. “Sure, boss, sure,” he huffed out. “Now, come on, this food is going to go to waste if we don’t eat it, and we have a few games we could play after.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dinner had gone spectacularly, as it usually did when Yuudai cooked. After they had all eaten, Mai, Shuichi and Kokichi’s closest friend from the orphanage, had challenged everyone to a Twister competition, which Shuichi had easily won. All that time training with Kokichi had really upped his flexibility and endurance, which he was grateful for. 

Everything had quieted down, some of the members had retreated to their bedrooms while others, like Yume, had fallen asleep on armchairs and couches that were scattered about the room. Shuichi gingerly spread a blanket over Yume, moving one of the throw pillows under her head before his brotherly instincts took over, leaning down to kiss her on the forehead before he turned out the living room light and moved back to join Kokichi in their shared room.

Said boy was sprawled out on the bed, no shirt, as usual, scrolling mindlessly through his phone as Shuichi crossed to the dresser, rifling through the drawers to try and find a nightshirt. He found one, a simple black t-shirt that he wore often, and swapped the t-shirt the cafe had given him out for it, discarding the shirt he had worn in the hamper. He let out a soft huff as he flopped down on the mattress next to Kokichi, giggling softly as it jostled him and prompted him to let out a small whine.

“That was rude, Shumai,” Kokichi scolded playfully, his lower lip jutting out in a comical pout. “I could have been texting one of our clients, and I could have accidentally shared some super top secret information with them.”

“I apologize, my dearest King,” Shuichi replied mockingly, grinning softly as Kokichi huffed out a laugh, leaning down to peck at his lips. “Thank you for today,” he breathed out, getting comfortable as he shimmied underneath the blanket.

“Hm?” Kokichi hummed. “What are you thanking me for? I did nothing special.”

“You did though,” Shuichi insisted, cuddling closer to Kokichi, seeking his warmth. “You cheered me up while I was having a bad day.”

“But I do that all the time,” Kokichi pointed out, rolling over onto his side and throwing his arm over Shuichi’s waist. “Like I said, it’s nothing special.”

“It is to me,” Shuichi retorted, pouting a bit. “It makes me happy to know that you care about me that much. It’s one of the simple little things you do that remind me the most that I’m loved, that I have people who want me here and care…” He sighed through his nose. “It’s one of the things that reminds me that you guys won’t abandon me.” There was a heartbeat of silence, one that indicated Kokichi was mulling over his words. Shuichi didn’t want to start that conversation, not when he was this tired, so he opened his mouth again. “I love you, Kokichi.”

Kokichi smiled softly as the lights in the room went out, pressing a gentle kiss to Shuichi’s nose, prompting a giggle from him. “I love you too, dearest. Sleep well, mmkay?”

“Okay,” Shuichi mumbled out, pressing his face to Kokichi’s shoulder as he settled in. They fell asleep like that, their legs intertwined beneath the blankets, dreaming of happy days where they could just live peacefully together with DICE, and live happily ever after, as a king and queen should.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!! If you enjoyed this, please make sure to leave kudos and a comment down below!


End file.
